--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We look on past ages with condescension…" description: "\"“We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us…but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?”\" — J.G. Farrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/j-g-farrell-35466_condescension_we-look-on-past-ages-with-condescension_1961384.png" --- # We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere… ![“We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us…but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?” quote by J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/j-g-farrell-35466_condescension_we-look-on-past-ages-with-condescension_1961384.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/j-g-farrell-35466_condescension_we-look-on-past-ages-with-condescension_1961384.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/j-g-farrell-35466_condescension_we-look-on-past-ages-with-condescension_1961384.png) > ““We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us…but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?”” [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We view history with superiority, yet we might simply be a fleeting echo of those before us. **In simple terms:** History may be a fleeting echo of us. Key Takeaway Recognize our temporary place in time. Themes history humility legacy existence Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic study - personal reflection - teaching history Key Concepts historical perspective ego continuity Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing yourself as an after‑glow change your actions? - What responsibilities arise from this view? A Different Perspective May overstate continuity; can diminish agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ages Condescension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-condescension-3239852/) [Condescension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condescension/) [Condescension Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condescension-mere-3239853/) [Look Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-past/) [Past Ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-ages-379708/) ## Related quotes > [There's been periods of broadcasts in the past where you could see all ages of entertainers, ranging from George Burns to Shirley Temple. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/there-s-been-periods-of-broadcasts-in-the-past-where-you-could-see/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [“And the present sheared asunder from the past, like an iceberg sheared off from its frozen parent cliffs, and went sailing out to sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/and-the-present-sheared-asunder-from-the-past-like-an-iceberg-sheared/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [What we call wisdom is the result of all the wisdom of past ages. Our best institutions are like young trees growing upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/what-we-call-wisdom-is-the-result-of-all-the-wisdom-of-past-ages-our/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [So easy it is to see the errors of past ages, so difficult to acknowledge our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/so-easy-it-is-to-see-the-errors-of-past-ages-so-difficult-to/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [What we call wisdom is the result of all the wisdom of past ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/what-we-call-wisdom-is-the-result-of-all-the-wisdom-of-past-ages/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The experience of past ages may inform us, that when the circumstances of a people render them distressed, their rulers generally recur to severe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-experience-of-past-ages-may-inform-us-that-when-the-circumstances/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to be always a child. If no use is made of the labors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/not-to-know-what-has-been-transacted-in-former-times-is-to-be-always/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [There is something about the present which we would not exchange, though we were offered a choice of all past ages to live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-something-about-the-present-which-we-would-not-exchange/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [When you are young, it's deeply annoying to be told that certain things are a condition of your youth. There's almost always some condescension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/when-you-are-young-it-s-deeply-annoying-to-be-told-that-certain/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) > [Lisp is still #1 for key algorithmic techniques such as recursion and condescension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verity-stob/lisp-is-still-1-for-key-algorithmic-techniques-such-as-recursion-and/) [Verity Stob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verity-stob/) > [“There is no point in fighting condescension with condescension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/there-is-no-point-in-fighting-condescension-with-condescension/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [Good motives aside, white condescension does more damage than good. White condescension says to a black child, 'The rules used by other ethnic groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/good-motives-aside-white-condescension-does-more-damage-than-good/) [Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/in-this-world-i-cannot-see-the-most-high-son-of-god-with-my-own-eyes/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [the true art of the gods is the comic. The comic is a condescension of the divine to the world of man; it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/the-true-art-of-the-gods-is-the-comic-the-comic-is-a-condescension-of/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) ## More by J.G. Farrell > [“if you were adventurous, scoop out the fragrant, heavenly, alarming flesh of the durian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/if-you-were-adventurous-scoop-out-the-fragrant-heavenly-alarming/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“And everyone would climb the stairs chuckling to their rooms and dream of aces and knaves and a supply of trumps that would last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/and-everyone-would-climb-the-stairs-chuckling-to-their-rooms-and/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“For Dupigny a nation resembled a very primitive human being: this human being consisted of, simply, an appetite and some sort of mechanism for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/for-dupigny-a-nation-resembled-a-very-primitive-human-being-this/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“For a day or two Fleury became quite active. He had his book about the advance of civilization in India to consider and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/for-a-day-or-two-fleury-became-quite-active-he-had-his-book-about-the/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“What an advantage that knowledge can be stored in books! The knowledge lies there like hermetically sealed provisions waiting for the day when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/what-an-advantage-that-knowledge-can-be-stored-in-books-the-knowledge/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“It is distressing to have to act under the impulsive orders of someone who, in a situation which concerns you deeply, does not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/it-is-distressing-to-have-to-act-under-the-impulsive-orders-of/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Surely there’s no need to abandon one’s reason simply because one is in Ireland.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/surely-there-s-no-need-to-abandon-one-s-reason-simply-because-one-is/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Walter, overhearing this, frowned at Dupigny, not because he disbelieved this story, but to indicate that he should speak guardedly in front of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/walter-overhearing-this-frowned-at-dupigny-not-because-he-disbelieved/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“It seems that’s there a ghastly Darwinian principle of economics known as the Law of Substitution which declares, more or less, that “the cheapest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/it-seems-that-s-there-a-ghastly-darwinian-principle-of-economics/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“Why do people insist on defending their ideas and opinions with such ferocity, as if defending honour itself? What could be easier to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/why-do-people-insist-on-defending-their-ideas-and-opinions-with-such/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“I read somewhere that the boatman who rowed King William back across the river after the Battle of the Boyne is supposed to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/i-read-somewhere-that-the-boatman-who-rowed-king-william-back-across/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) > [“explained that the Committee for International Understanding, with Europe crumbling about it, had closed down in 1940, naturally dismayed by the amount of misunderstanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-farrell/explained-that-the-committee-for-international-understanding-with/) [J.G. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) [Explore all 13 J.G. Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-farrell/) ## More Condescension quotes > [...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/in-this-world-i-cannot-see-the-most-high-son-of-god-with-my-own-eyes/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Good motives aside, white condescension does more damage than good. White condescension says to a black child, 'The rules used by other ethnic groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/good-motives-aside-white-condescension-does-more-damage-than-good/) [Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/) > [“There is no point in fighting condescension with condescension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/there-is-no-point-in-fighting-condescension-with-condescension/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [Lisp is still #1 for key algorithmic techniques such as recursion and condescension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verity-stob/lisp-is-still-1-for-key-algorithmic-techniques-such-as-recursion-and/) [Verity Stob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verity-stob/) > [When you are young, it's deeply annoying to be told that certain things are a condition of your youth. There's almost always some condescension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/when-you-are-young-it-s-deeply-annoying-to-be-told-that-certain/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) > [the true art of the gods is the comic. The comic is a condescension of the divine to the world of man; it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/the-true-art-of-the-gods-is-the-comic-the-comic-is-a-condescension-of/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [But the severe rules of discipline which the prudence of the bishops had instituted were relaxed by the same prudence in favour of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/but-the-severe-rules-of-discipline-which-the-prudence-of-the-bishops/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“Now, how do the young prepare to meet the old? The same way the old prepare to meet the young: with a little condescension;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/now-how-do-the-young-prepare-to-meet-the-old-the-same-way-the-old/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I would not preach tolerance, which seems to me another name for condescension and presupposes faults in those to be tolerated ... Nor do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/i-would-not-preach-tolerance-which-seems-to-me-another-name-for/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [As God adds his ‘Yes’ to your ‘Yes,’ as he confirms your will with his will, and as he allows you, and approves of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/as-god-adds-his-yes-to-your-yes-as-he-confirms-your-will-with-his/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“A number of years ago, when I was a freshly-appointed instructor, I met, for the first time, a certain eminent historian of science. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/a-number-of-years-ago-when-i-was-a-freshly-appointed-instructor-i-met/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is an exquisite act of condescension from Norwegians, a dog biscuit and a pat on the head to the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-is-an-exquisite-act-of-condescension-from/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“The term condescension is used in two significantly different ways in contemporary discourse. It evokes negative emotions when it is used in the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-r-kreider/the-term-condescension-is-used-in-two-significantly-different-ways-in/) [Glenn R. Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-r-kreider/) > [“His posture spoke of condescension, his expression disinterest. He was all brambles and icicles as he strode closer to her cage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/his-posture-spoke-of-condescension-his-expression-disinterest-he-was/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) [Browse all 91 Condescension quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condescension/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us…but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.G. 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